Refrigerating cabinet



May 17, 1938- G. D. REINHARDT REFRIGERATING' CABINET Filed July 31, 19.36

I NVE N TOR. o. EGW/mear ATTORNEY.

Patented May 17, 1938 UNITED STATES4 PATENT OFFICE 2,117,505 REFRIGERATING CABINET George D. Reinhardt, San Antonio, Tex.

Application July 31, 1936, Serial No. 93,700

s claims. (o1. cs2-16o) l inner housing 4 is spaced from the wall of the I 'I his invention relates to refrigerating cabinets.

'Ihe main object of the invention is to produce an improved refrigerating cabinet of simple and compact structure whereby to utilize minimum 5 floor space and to secure increased refrigerating effect within the compass of the compact cabinet structure.

An importantl object of the invention is u to provide for the convenient correlation of interior storage chambers or compartments and outer refrigerating facilities, all within the confines of the cabinet.

Another object is to provide for acceleration in the circulation of a cooling medium surroundl5 ing the interior refrigerating chambers or compartments and in contact with the other refrigerating agencies or elements Within the cabinet.

A further object is to provide for the utilization of a relatively compact primary refrigerating element for chilling the circulated fluid refrigerant within the' cabinet.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features of the invention;

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing, in

which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein: Figure 1 is (a longitudinal verticaly section through the cabinet equipped in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan'view of the cabinet with portions broken away to show interior parts;

Figure 3 is an isometric view of and Figure 4 is .a detached view of a cover element for the cabinet.

- Referring now to the drawing, the numeral I designates an outer casing or housing which may be obviously fabricated of matched tongueand-groove dressed lumber or of sheet. metal, as may be desired. Within the outer casing or housing I, and spaced therefrom, is a liquidtight container shell 2 which may be obviously fabricated from metal sheets that are welded or secured together in any approved manner. In `the spacebetween the outer casing I and inner shell 2, a filler 3 of suitable insulating material is the cabinet; Y

cabinet proper I onlyat the top, bottom and ends thereof, the longitudinal side walls of said housing 4 being in intimate contact with the adjacent side walls of the cabinet I.

The inner housing 4 may be divided into any desirable'number of separate chambers or compartments. As shown, said housingl 4 is divided by a partition 5 intotwo separate compartments, 6, respectively. Access to the interior of the chamber or compartment 6 is had through doors 8 provided therefor in the side wall of the cabinet I, the doorways, obviously, being made leaktight in their respective Yconnections with the inner housing shell 4. Likewise, a door 9 is provided for access to the chamber or compartment 1.

At one end portion of the cabinet I.`a cold. plate I0, preferably of stainless steel or Monel metal, is provided, said plate being attached to the-adjacent marginal portions of the inner lining tube by a leak-tight jointure. So, too, it is preferable to extend the marginal portions of said plate I0 and turn the same downwardly over the adjacent outer face portions of the cabinet I, as at II.

Within the space between the inner lining 2 of the cabinet I and the inner housing 4 containing the storage chambers or compartments 6 and l, is provided a suitable liquid cooling medium which, for practical purposes, may be salt or calcium chloride brine, said liquid being forci` bly circulated in a manner to be presently described and in direct contact with the inner housing 4 and cold vplate I0, said liquid being maintained at a level in the cabinet higher than the plane of the cold plate I Il, as indicated at I2, in Figure 1 of the drawing.

Except wherethe cold plate I0 is provided, the cabinet is openat its top throughout the extent thereof, said opening being normally covered by a removable lid or lids I3, an example of which is illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawing. Each lid I3 has suitable insulating material embodied in its construction, and one of said lids is placed I serve refrigeration within the cabinet.

As shown, a trough I4 is provided above the end wall I5 which extends upward at the inner end of the cold plate Ill, and, obviously, said trough I4 may be extended along the side marginal portions of the top opening in the cabinet, if desired, said trough or troughs I4 being pro] vided to drain any drippings from articles or containers taken from the brine, for example, congealing molds I6 which are placed in the cabinet and supported directly on top of the inner housing shell 4. Obviously, the congealing molds I6 are emersed in the brine with their top portions, of course, above the level of the brine, as shown in Figure l of the drawing.

In order to circulate the brine within the cabinet, a horizontal partition I1 is provided between one end of the inner housing 4 and the adjacent end sheet of the lining 2. Said partition is lprovided with an opening surrounded by adownwardly ared collar I8 in which is a rotary propeller (not shown) that is carried on the lower end portion of a shaft I9 journaled in bearings 20 of a bracket 2| secured to the end Wall of the cabinet and provided with an upward extension 22 to which is attached an electric motor 23 for rotating the shaft I9. The propeller rotating within the collared opening I8 of the partition II forces the liquid downwardly in the space therebelow, betweenthe end of the housing 4 and adjacent end wall of the cabinet, thence through the space under the bottom of the housing 4,

upwardly through the opposite end 'space and between the top of the `housing 4 and cold plate I0, through the open space where the congealing f molds are supported above the chamber or compartment 6 of said housing 4 and back-to the propeller, whence it is re-circulated. Obviously. as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing the side walls ofthe inner casing 4 are in contact with the side walls of the outer casing I, through the medium of the insulating material 3.

Any suitable heat transferring or refrigerating element for the brine may be employed. It is preferable, however, to employ for this purpose within the cabinet I, a refrigerating apparatus or unit of the character of that set forth in copending application of the present inventor, the general description of which will now be given.

The refrigerating `element for the brine, as shown, comprises an accumulator 24 which includes a vertically disposed tubular shell into the upper end of which leads a pipe 25 from a source of refrigerant, such as liquid ammonia, and connected to a coil (not shown) within the shell 24,

the lower end of the coil having a communicable connection through an kejector and aspirator (not shown) to a pipe 2G leading from the-lower end of said shell 24 to one end of a header or manifold 21 of an evaporator 28. From the opposite end of the header or manifold 21 a series of evaporator pipes 29 lead to another header or manifold which, in turn, leads into the shell 24. The spent liquid and gas from the evaporator 28, entering the shell 24 and coming in contact with the coil within the shell becomes re-evaporated, or partially so, and the lighter gas or vapor is drawn from the shell 24 througha pipe 3 I leading to the suction side of a` compressor (not shown). Any liquid from the evaporator 28 not re-evaporated in the shell 24 drops to the bottom of the shell and is, by the action of the ejector and aspirator within the shell, drawn into the stream of liquid refrigerant ejected from the supply coil intol the header or manifold 21 of the evaporator 28. Y v

In the particular refrigerating element or unit just above described, an accelerated ow of the low pressure liquid refrigerant is maintained through the evaporator pipes 29 with the advantageous effect of rapid heat transfer between the circulating refrigerant within the pipes and the brine or other media on the outside of said pipes ures 2 and 3 of the drawing, and, in this connection, it is obvious that the construction and arrangement of the cabinet may be modified in many respects within the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The invention, therefore, is not limited to the specific construction and arrangementillustrated in' the accompanying drawing.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A refrigerating cabinet, comprising, an elongate horizontal insulated outer casing havingaliquid-proof lining, a portion of said cabinet adjacent one end being open at the top, a cold plate covering another top portion adjacent the opposite end of the cabinet, an inner housing of heat conductive material within the cabinet and spaced from the bottom and end walls but in contact with the side walls thereof, means for forcibly circulating a uidcooling medium through the space between the walls of the cabinet and said inner housing and in intimate contactwith said inner housing and said cold plate, said inner housing being divided into storage compartments and having means of access through doors in the side walls of the cabinet, dry tanks within the space at one end between the walls of the cabinet and said inner housing and emersed within the circulated uid cooling medium therein, congealing molds accessible through the open top portion ofthe cabinet emersed in the circulated fluid cooling medium and supported directly upon the top of the inner housing, and a refrigerating unit including a heat transfer element located in the space beneath said inner housing for attemperating said fluid medium.

2. A refrigerating cabinet comprising, a horizontal elongate rectangular outer casing having insulated bottom, side and end walls with a liquid-proof lining, the top portion of said casing adjacent one end thereof being closed by a cold plate and the portion extending from said plate to the opposite end of the casing being open and having surrounding wall portions extending higher than said cold plate, an inner housing of material of thermal conductivity in contact with the side walls of the outer casing but spaced throughout from the-bottomand end walls of the casing and also spaced from said cold plate, a liquid refrigerating medium filling saidl space and maintained at a level in the area of the open top portion of outer casing higher than the cold plate, a refrigerating unit including a heat transfer element disposed longitudinally in the space beneath the inner housing, and means for effecting forced circulation of the liquid refrigerating medium downwardly at one end of the cabinet, longitudinally beneath said inner housing, upwardly at the oppositeend of the cabinet, and longitudinally above said housing to said rst mentioned end of the cabinet.

3. A refrigerating cabinet comprising, a horizontal elongate rectangular outer casing having ering a part of the top of the outer casing and the rest of the casing being open at the top, said open portion having surrounding walls extending above the cold plate whereby the liquid refrigerating medium can be maintained at a level higher than said plate, said open top portion of the outer casing being for access to congealing molds supported on said inner housing and immersed in the liquid refrigerant, the inner housing providing reirigerating compartments' having means of access through doors provided in the side walls thereof, a refrigerating unit having a heat exchange element extending longitudinally in the space beneath said inner housing, and means for forcibly circulating the yliquid refrigerating medium comprising a horizontal partition dividing the space at one end of the cabinet between the outer casing and the inner housing, said partition having an opening therein and a cooperating power-driven propeller for forcing the liquid refrigerating medium through said opening from one side to the other of said partition.

- GEORGE D. REINHARDT. 

